text:
Archive for the 'James L. Morrison' Category
Jomini on the Nature of War – Part VII – Jomini's Impact on Civil War Leadership
This post continues the series of "Jomini on the Nature of War." Part I: Introduction is available here, Part II: The Burgeoning Military Theorist here, Part III: The Founder of Modern Strategy here, Part IV: The Basics here, Part V: Lines of Operation here, and Part VI – The Conduct of War here.
Returning to Baron Antoine de Jomini (right), I wanted to explore the extent to which his strategies influenced those who held leadership positions during the American Civil War. A modest survey of the literature revealed some disagreement.
Historian James L. Morrison, Jr. in his article "Educating the Civil War Generals: West Point, 1833 – 1861,″ pointed out that exposure to Jomini came during "Professor Dennis H. Mahan's [pictured below] course, Civil and Military Engineering and the Science of War which all First Classmen studied daily."[i]
Dennis H. Mahan
Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
But only nine hours were given to the study of the science of war and Morrison contends that this was entirely too brief an exposure to have had any lasting impact. That said, he acknowledges that some alumni of the military academy studied Jomini thoroughly including Beauregard, Lee, Halleck, and McClellan.
"…The same cannot be said for the great majority of their colleagues who had neither the opportunity nor the inclination to continue their strategic studies after graduation. Probably Sherman was more representative of the typical graduate when he denied that Jomini had affected his thoughts or actions in the war." [ii]
I'll discuss some additional viewpoints in the next post.
A word on Dennis H. Mahan. A military theorist in his own right, Mahan was instrumental in developing the engineering-focused curriculum at West Point. Some may recall that he was the father of naval strategist Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan. The elder's obituary, which appeared on September 17, 1871 in New York Times here, reveals that Professor Mahan committed suicide by jumping in the Hudson River from the deck of the steamboat Mary Powell in such a way that he was hit by the wheel. He was apparently despondant about being forced to retire. A sad end to a remarkable career. Professor Mahan's memoir is available online here.
Mary Powell, Queen of the HudsonPhoto Credit: Hudson River Maritime Museum
[i, ii] James L. Morrison, Jr., "Educating the Civil War Generals: West Point, 1833 – 1861," Military Affairs, Vol. 38, No. 3. (Oct., 1974), pp. 109.


text:
Well, I have to say, if the other guy was banned then Fireman Ed should be as well. They looked equally at fault to me. But seriously, I've seen worse at childrens' soccer matches. Based on that video I'd say security over reacted in a big way if either guy is banned.
No telling what happened off-camera though.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Summary and Keywords
Coalition governments are observed frequently in parliamentary systems. Approximately 70% of all governments in postwar Europe have been one type of coalition or another. Israel has never been ruled by a single-party government in its history. Recently, majoritarian systems like Britain produced coalitions, taking many by surprise.
The prominence of coalitions in parliamentary democracies compels researchers to study them more closely. The Comparative Politics literature investigates, in particular, the dynamics of coalition formation and termination, as well as the domestic policy outputs of coalitions, especially compared to governments ruled by a single party.
Coalitions have generated interest on the International Relations front as well. One avenue of research transcends the "political party" as a building block and conceptualizes coalitions as a "decision unit" by focusing on the group of veto players in a regime's foreign policy apparatus. Another line of scholarship, situated in the "Democratic Peace" framework, looks at coalitions as a domestic-institutional factor to observe their effects on the likelihood of international conflict.
Departing from the "Democratic Peace" tradition, more recent research in Foreign Policy Analysis rejuvenates the study of coalitions in international politics. This literature not only encourages theory development by scrutinizing why coalitions behave differently than single-parties in the international arena but also bridges the gap between International Relations and Comparative Politics. Emphasizing the organic relationship between domestic politics and foreign policy, foreign policy researchers dissect coalition governments to highlight the role political parties play on foreign policy formulation and implementation. This literature also illustrates the merits of methodological plurality in studying foreign policy. Using a combination of comparative case studies, process tracing, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and regression modeling, it sheds light not only on the broader trends that characterize coalition foreign policy but also on the causal mechanisms and contextual factors which often go unaccounted for in purely statistical analyses. The recent advances in role and image theories in Foreign Policy Analysis are expected to influence the study of coalitions and their foreign policies, offering an interpretivist take alongside this positivist trajectory.
Keywords: clarity of responsibility, coalitions, foreign policy, parliamentary systems, political parties, veto players
Access to the complete content on Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription. If you are a student or academic complete our librarian recommendation form to recommend the Oxford Research Encyclopedias to your librarians for an institutional free trial.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.


text:
MSR-Service GmbH (Managing Directors: Dipl.-Ing. Bruno Schramm and Dipl.-Ing. Gabriela Schramm) was founded in 1992 and employs 14 members of staff. Since the company was founded, the team of engineers, technicians, master craftsmen and skilled workers has been working on the implementation of cost saving and energy saving heating, air conditioning and sanitation systems. The HAST-AKKU concept was developed from this – the system makes it possible to make considerable cost and energy savings as far as heating and hot water supply systems are concerned. At present, MSR-Service GmbH is responsible for 62 HAST-AKKU systems. 32 systems are installed in premises constructed by one major building company in Berlin alone, which (in the case of approx. 1.8 million euros of investment) guarantee annual savings of 405,000 euros. By further optimising the connection value, it is possible to increase savings to 470,000 euros.
The Situation
The energy efficiency of buildings is right at the top of the real estate industry's list of priorities. Anyone working in the industry knows that he/she must concern himself/herself a great deal with measures to reduce energy consumption. Not only as a result of the German Energy Saving Regulation, but also in order to remain attractive to tenants.
One good way of approaching energy saving is to make better use of the energy available. What is more, in this case, one figure speaks volumes: in relatively large residential units and building complexes such as hospitals or hotels, the level of annual usage of the boiler system is on average 70%.
However, what happens to the remaining 30%? This is made up in particular of heat losses incurred when the burner is fired up and during the down time of the burner (cooling losses). Accordingly, it is the level of annual usage rather than the efficiency of the boiler that is the operator's primary concern. Contractors are particularly interested in achieving as high a level of annual usage as possible as they charge according to heat energy consumed. It is to their financial advantage if they are able to sell more heat energy whilst using less gas or oil.
This is precisely what the HAST-AKKU technology developed by MSR Service GmbH and distributed by BBT -Bosch Buderus Thermotechnik GmbH offers: by means of a combined energy and tank management system, it makes significantly better use of the economic potential of heating and drinking water warming systems and significantly increases the level of annual usage.
The advantages of the energy and tank management system can also be seen in the district heating supply and lead to a significant cost reduction as far as the connection value is concerned.
The Grundfos Solution
HAST-AKKU stations for use in district heating networks or boiler systems each have four Magna pumps. The pumps are required to be speed-adjustable and high demands are made of the quality of control of the integrated microprocessor: where valves serve to regulate the volume flow rate in conventional systems, the pumps take over this task in the HAST-AKKU concept. For example, the Magna automatically adjusts the circulation temperature of 55°C.
One important criterion in selecting the pumps was also that the Magna is designed to operate 'as part of a network' and can therefore be connected to the central building control systems (BCS). It supports BUS communications via LONTalk and GENIbus protocols and can be easily upgraded using extension modules: a cartridge is simply inserted directly into the terminal boxes.
In the HAST-AKKU system, the pumps are connected to the control system via GENIbus -with the possibility of forwarding data via the internet and visualising the system status, as well as the ability to perform remote parameterisation. In addition, it is possible to log all of the system's parameters.
The Outcome
The HAST-AKKU control concept, together with the Magna pumps, offers a high level of energy efficiency. It combines an innovative energy and tank management system for boiler systems or district heating private connection stations featuring state-of-the-art production technology: a specially developed system solution, which operates all actuating elements and control elements within a system in an optimum manner.
The system distributes the load profiles within a building over 24 hours, all components will therefore be considerably smaller in terms of their output and dimensions: the connection values decrease in the district heating supply and there is a reduction in energy consumption in boiler systems.
The HAST-AKKU® system tops performance highs and smoothes the load profile/connection values decrease and the level of annual usage increases.
MSR-Service GmbH
Magna pumps
HAST-AKKU®: Technical features at a glance
- Reduction in system costs: the tailored, high-quality system results in a high level of annual usage and therefore in lower operating costs in the long term, including operational optimisation (smaller boiler sizes and minimisation of the boiler cycle times and turn-off times); this means very rapid amortisation
- Reduction in the primary energy consumption of oil/gas by 10 to 40%
- Minimisation of district heating power input by up to over 50%
- hygienically safe warming of drinking water with legionella prevention using the flow principle
- Increase in the level of operational safety of the system (modular construction; tailored system; operational optimisation)
- Increase in the reliability of planning (supported by material-related detailed design); speeding up of the system assembly process (modular construction)
- Reduction in maintenance and servicing costs
- Reduction in the space required by the heating system
Current recommendations for use of HAST-AKKU:
(1) Boiler systems and district heating systems with or without central provision of hot water
(2) Newly constructed premises and premises that have had their heating systems upgraded from 200 kW
(3) Old premises from 250 kW
If you need a similar solution, please contact us for further information.
If you need a similar solution, please contact us for further information.


text:
Eco-design involves limiting a product's environmental impact throughout the product's lifecycle: incorporating raw materials derived from sustainable channels into our formulas, looking for innovative and environmentally friendly solutions in terms of packaging, limiting pollution in transport (upstream and downstream), packing in an environmentally friendly way in our factories (ISO 14001 certified), and ensuring that the display in the points of sale and the product's end of life make less of an impact on our planet.
In order to adopt a continuous improvement approach, each new development is rated with an EPI (Environmental performance indicator) indicator and validated by the project teams.
A few examples:
- The advertising banners and posters for La Petite Robe Noire are transformed into It-bags, clutches and collector's notebooks crafted by a company that employs handicapped people.
- The size of our perfume box sets has been reduced by 15% and uses more recycled materials, which allows us to save 35 tons of cardboard boxes per year and 230 pallets.
- We have developed a magnificent case made of wood sourced from a sustainably managed European forest and with a solvent-free protective varnish.
- Orchidée Impériale, our star skincare cream, can be refilled in Parisian boutiques as part of a made-to-measure service for our special customers.


text:
Healthy food and drink policy on the menu
News Item
posted by Research Admin on 6 December 2018
"Healthier food options will increase at Christchurch pools, recreation centres and events if a new policy is adopted by Christchurch City Council.
The Social, Community Development and Housing Committee has today recommended that the Council adopts a Healthy Food and Drink Policy.
To see the full item, go to: https://www.ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/newsline/show/3192


text:
Symposium on Nanomaterials for Energy
Published on
As nanoscale materials have become easier to synthesize and their basic structures and properties are better understood, their integration into devices with practical utility at human scales has emerged as the next technological frontier. Breakthroughs in energy-related technologies, in particular, are expected from new advances in nanotechnology. The connection between nanotechnology and energy is inextricable—many unique physical phenomena at the nanoscale occur through confinement of allowable states of basic energy carriers (electrons, phonons, and photons). The consequences of these phenomena are critically important in various areas of energy science and technology.
This workshop will bring together leaders from Indian and US institutions, spearheaded by the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) and Purdue University, and will highlight the most promising approaches in harnessing the power of nanotechnology in energy-related research. Real progress at the convergence of energy and nanotechnology will require solutions to many fundamental challenges, many of which are related to the scalability, integrability, and energy transport properties of nanomaterials. As with virtually all challenges related to materials and their integration into useful devices, these problems require contributions from a wide range of traditional disciplines in engineering and the physical sciences.
The topics of energy transport, conversion, and efficiency will serve as cross-cutting themes, while the workshop will be organized according to the following sessions:
- Scalable synthesis of nanomaterials for energy
- Unique energy transport, conversion, and storage processes in nanomaterials
- Functionalization and heterogeneous materials integration for energy
- Nanomaterials and devices for clean energy and energy conservation
This workshop will focus on establishing and strengthening contacts and collaborations among a moderately sized group of key researchers from the US and India, and future mechanisms for extended personnel exchanges.
Sponsored by
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
Indo-US Science & Technology Forum
NSF - Office of International Science and Engineering
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN


text:
Earthquake overview : A very strong damaging earthquake occurred in the Van province in eastern Turkey. The earthquake was felt in all the neighboring countries.
Pages which have been written for this earthquake
Very strong damaging earthquake Eastern Turkey – Part 1
Very strong damaging earthquake Eastern Turkey – Part 2
New powerful and dangerous aftershock creates panic in Van and Ercis, Eastern Turkey
Understanding the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in East Turkey (October 23, 2011)
New Insights into the October 2011 Van (Turkey) Earthquake – detailed analysis by the CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group
Shelter report for Eastern Turkey Earthquake (status 26/10) by the CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group
Comparing the current impact of the "Van" Earthquake to past earthquakes in Eastern Turkey


text:
Michael Shank Racing stripped of 3rd-place finish
The third-place finisher in last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona has been hit with harsh penalties for a rules violation.
Grand-Am Road Racing stripped the No. 60 Ford Riley of Michael Shank Racing of its podium finish, $35,000 in prize money and 30 championship points.
The sanctioning body discovered mechanical adjustments to the car's engine, which resulted in "performance levels outside the documented maximums."
Shank says the team is "as surprised about this as anyone. We know that the guys will figure out what when wrong and make sure we are not in this position again."
The No. 60 team, the 2011 Rolex winners, rallied from seven laps down this year and competed for the victory during the final laps of the endurance race.


text:
Tell Obama: End Indefinite Detention Now!
It was amazing news: Chris Hedges, Revolution Truth, et al won their lawsuit last week as a judge ruled that indefinite detention violates the Constitution. More than 50,000 Demand Progress members have signed on as supporters of the lawsuit.
Now indefinite detention is back in President Obama's hands: He can tell the government's lawyers not to appeal the ruling and end this travesty once and for all. Meanwhile, the Senate takes up indefinite detention THIS WEEK.
Please sign up at right to urge Obama and the Senate to stop supporting indefinite detention -- and use these links to share the photo at right:
|If you're already on Facebook, click here to share with your friends.
|If you're already on Twitter, click here to tweet about the campaign:
Obama signed last year's National Defense Authorization Act even though it included provisions which could let the military detain civilians indefinitely without a trial or charges.
Despite a valiant effort by opponents, the House retained indefinite detention when it passed the new NDAA last week. The Senate will take it up soon, and President Obama can drop his defense of it in court.
Just add your name at right to send emails to Obama and the Senate right away.
And please spread the word and help us meme President Obama, by sharing the image at right.
|If you're already on Facebook, click here to share with your friends.
|If you're already on Twitter, click here to tweet about the campaign:


text:
Warm Wisconsin weekend leads to thin ice
Anglers urged to use caution on area lakes
Recent warm weather has made ice on some Wisconsin lakes unsafe, and officials warned fishermen to be wary after several broke through over the weekend.
Rescue crews pulled two fishermen from Lake Mendota on Sunday and responded to three other calls of breakthroughs as well, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Monday.
All the rescued anglers were OK, but authorities said their experience should make others wary of the thawing ice.
Dane County Lt. Gerald Hundt said the most dangerous areas were near the mouths of rivers and natural springs because flowing water prevents thick ice from forming.
"These areas are often the most dangerous and have the thinnest foundations of ice present, yet appear to be indistinguishable from those thicker areas of ice around it," Hundt said in a news release. "If you decide to go out on one of the area lakes, we recommend having appropriate flotation and life saving devices present, such as ice picks and life preservers."
Waukesha County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Renkas said part of the problem with breakthroughs is that people are trying to squeeze in as much fishing as possible before the season ends.
"Where we end up with a problem is a quick thaw. This year it appears we're having a slow thaw. People don't realize the ice is thawing quicker than it appears," Renkas said.
Fishermen had to have their shanties off the ice by March 3 under state law, but they are allowed to continue fishing after that at their own risk.


text:
Pottery Shard Finding Said to Boost Proof of Goliath
A.P. Fri Nov 11, 9:50 AM ET
JERUSALEM - Archaeologists digging at the purported biblical home of Goliath have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing an inscription of the Philistine's name, a find they claimed lends historical credence to the Bible's tale of David's battle with the giant.
While the discovery is not definitive evidence of Goliath's existence, it does support the Bible's depiction of life at the time the battle was supposed to have occurred, said Dr. Aren Maeir, a professor at Bar-Ilan University and director of the excavation.
"What this means is that at the time there were people there named Goliath," he said. "It shows us that David and Goliath's story reflects the cultural reality of the time." In the story, David slew Goliath with a slingshot.
Some scholars assert the story of David slaying the giant Goliath is a myth written down hundreds of years later. Maeir said finding the scraps lends historical credence to the biblical story.
The shard dates back to around 950 B.C., within 70 years of when biblical chronology asserts David squared off against Goliath, making it the oldest Philistine inscription ever found, the archaeologists said.
Scientists made the discovery at Tel es-Safi, a dig site in southern Israel thought to be to be the location of the Philistine city of Gath.
2nd Article: Goliath found?Oren Klass, THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 10, 2005
A very small ceramic shard unearthed by Bar-Ilan University archaeologists digging at Tell es-Safi, the biblical city "Gath of the Philistines," may hold a very large clue into the history of the well-known biblical figure Goliath.
The shard, which contains the earliest known Philistine inscription ever to be discovered, mentions two names that are remarkably similar to the name "Goliath".
The discovery is of particular importance since the Bible attributes Gath as the home town of Goliath. "Gath of the Philistines," was one of the major cities of the Philistines, the well-known arch-enemies of the Israelites in the biblical text.
Professor Aren Maeir, Chairman of Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, told The Jerusalem Post that the odds of this being the actual Goliath referred to in the Bible are "small if non-existent."
Professor Maeir explained that this find could chronologically be placed some 50 years after the story of David and Goliath was to have taken place.
Furthermore, according to Prof. Maeir, Goliath was a very popular type of name at the time.
Regardless of the low odds, the archaeological find may be seen as the first clear extra-biblical evidence that the story of the battle between David and Goliath may be more than just a legend.
Written in archaic "Proto-Canaanite" letters, the inscription found on the shard, dating to the 10th or early 9th century BCE, contains two non-Semitic names: Alwt and Wlt. Most scholars believe the name Goliath, of non-Semitic origin, is etymologically related to various Indo-European names, such as the Lydian name Aylattes.
Following intense examination of the inscription, Prof. Meir (along with his colleagues Prof. Aaron Demsky, an expert in epigraphy at Bar-Ilan University, and Dr. Stefan Wimmer, of Munich University) has concluded that the two names which appear in the inscription are remarkably similar to the etymological parallels of Goliath.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
Please Support the Research of S8int.com!
Since 2002, Chris Parker has done the majority of the research and writing of articles for s8int.com. If this site has been an encouragement to you, please donate to support Chris's ongoing research. (S8int.com is not incorporated and your donations may not be tax deductable.)


text:
Not exactly sure if this is the right forum but I will post anyway. I own antiquarian bartender cocktail guides going back to the late 1800s. I am seeking someone to help me reprint them for sale. I have over a dozen prior to 1923 and several more where I assume the copyright does not apply anymore since others are reprinting them. Some are categorized as rare and scarce. If interested I would like to talk with someone about this endeavor and how we could partner in this project.
Contact me:
Steve Jaffe
Help me reprint antiquarian books
Discuss your favorite books, authors, and tricks from Kaufman and Company.
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: Help me reprint antiquarian books
Wow what an interesting collection Steve!
I would love to see it! Any photos?
I would love to see it! Any photos?
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


text:
1099 Tax Forms
Save big on our wide selection of 1099 Tax Forms from The Mines Press. We have all the necessary 1099 form types you may need to fulfill your filing requirements. We also carry 1099 Tax Form Kits, so you can rest assured you have everything you need this filing season.
All of our tax forms are government-approved and are competitively priced. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.
Find by
(0)As low as $33.75
(0)As low as $0.06
(0)As low as $0.06
(0)As low as $0.06


text:
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Bad Choices Make Good Stories: Going to New York, is a dark and humorous novel written by Oliver Markus Malloy. Based on true events, this novel takes us on a fascinating journey through the life of Oliver. We meet him as a teenage hacker in Germany before he begins his life in New York. Once there, we join him in his adventures as a cartoonist, cab driver, production manager, and internet millionaire. His story is not one for the easily offended or the faint of heart. It includes sex and bad relationships, drugs and codependency, crime, betrayal, and abusive situations. It is told with a no-holds-barred kind of honesty.
I think the beginning chapter, titled "Prostitution," is written to somewhat set the stage for the rest of the novel. Oliver Markus Malloy takes this time not only to grab our attention, but also to warn readers of the lack of censorship within his novel. He pokes fun a little at America and our tendency to over-censor things like "bad" language and harmless nudity. Oliver grew up in a much more liberal environment.
With the stage now set, the author takes us back to the 1990s. He was a computer geek and an internet hacker in the age of dial-up modems. Oliver and his hacking crew members weren't hacking in the sense that people do today. They weren't selling information to the mob or making online purchases. They were simply spreading their "cracked" games.
The hacking and computer scene has always been an interesting one to me, even though I couldn't tell you the first real thing about it. From movies like Weird Science to The Net, Office Space to Antitrust, it is a topic I have always found interesting. So, Oliver Markus Malloy didn't have to pull me in. However, he did do a great job of making the world of hacking sound interesting and even dangerous at times – the German FBI even raided his parents' house on two separate occasions.
It was through the world of hacking that Oliver met Donna, and it was Donna who eventually led Oliver to New York. She was one of the only women in the hacking scene, and they literally spent hours on the phone with each other. In fact, the two were constantly connected (via land line, no less) until Oliver lost his phone privileges, at which point he began spending hours inside of a phone booth to stay connected.
With Donna in the picture now, Oliver began losing interest in the illegal hacking business, but continued to run his software company. With the money earned from video games produced through his software company, Oliver was able to fly to New York when he had the chance to spend more time with Donna.
So as not to give away any more of Oliver's story, I will just say that it was one whirlwind adventure after another for him. Oliver was not only an entertaining character, he was downright likable. I did not always agree with him, the things he did, or what he did or did not believe in, but I found that I still wanted to learn more about him. I wanted to see where his life was headed, to see where he ended up. Sometimes he would make the same kinds of mistakes over and over, but I couldn't even fault him that. I either chalked it up to his abusive biological father and the psychological outcome of that situation, or to the genuine love and care he seemed to feel towards some of the people in his life. Love can make us do some otherwise inexplicable things.
Regardless of the reason, I was enthralled. The reading was easy. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter were a nice addition. I even learned a little on my journey. Aside from the ins and outs of the hacking business, and how that can be beneficial in various parts of your life, I also learned how easy divorce can be by signing paperwork from lawyers in Guam and enjoying a week-long vacation there – too bad I didn't know about that when my husband was going through his divorce when we first met. It would have given us reason to visit my birthplace. - All kidding aside, though, I can honestly say that I think this book deserves 4 out of 4 stars, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
This book is not for everyone, though. If you are sensitive to triggers, or have the tendency to be offended by harsh language or actions that can be considered as unsavory or even immoral, then this is not the book for you. If you enjoy dark humor, and can handle reading about sex and drugs and the lifestyle that often accompanies those things, then you may find enjoyment in exploring the parts of Oliver's life that he is willing to share with us through this novel. It was an interesting journey, to say the least, and I recommend Bad Choices to anyone who feels up to reading it.
Bad Choices Make Good Stories
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like Christina Rose's review? Post a comment saying so!


text:
What's New
ClickBits IconBullets Font by Fonthead Design
About: ClickBits is an extensive set of technology-themed icons and arrows that are especially suited for web design but work equally well in print. ClickBits comes in an 11-font set with a handy quick reference key chart so you know exactly what font and what key to press to get the icon you need. ClickBits are vector-based fonts, so they can scale BIG if you need them to, but also scale down quite nicely.
Tags: Dingbat, Font


text: NorthWest Locksmith Reno is a locally operated company that provide locksmith services all over Reno, Nevada and its surroundings. The company offer various types of locksmith services such as residential, commercial, and automotive. here you will find variety of tips and information about recent jobs as well as occasional updates from the company's other social media accounts.


text:
Contact Us
How Can We Serve You Even Better?
Our customers are the most valuable part of our business. Your requirements and needs, your feedback and thoughts are vital to us and we'd love to learn more. Feel free to contact us with any corporate, non-technical issue by filling out the contact form below.
For technical issues, please contact your local dealer or find your closest dealer through the dealer locator.


text:
Bath Preservation Trust
The Bath Preservation Trust was founded in 1934 as a small pressure group, with the object of protecting the city's unique architectural heritage. The Trust has saved hundreds more listed buildings from demolition, and today has approximately 1,400 subscribing members from the UK and overseas supporting its work.
The Trust exists to preserve the historic character and amenities of Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the only city in the UK afforded World Heritage Status. The popularity of this beautiful city does have its disadvantages for there are constant threats to the city's 6,400 listed buildings, unsympathetic urban intrusions and an increasing threat of development in the city's green belt. The Trust resists harmful changes to the architectural integrity of the city but supports appropriate new developments. A major part of the Trust's work is reviewing all planning applications and listed building consent applications submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council and responding as necessary.
Working positively, the Trust contributes financially to remedial works that enhance the city's Georgian character. On a larger scale, it has rescued properties as diverse as cottages which once housed artisans who built the great Georgian architectural set pieces, and the historically significant Beckford's Tower, now owned by the Bath Preservation Trust and run as a museum.
Venue Type:
Heritage site, Architecture centre, Association or society
Please see website for details
- Museums Association
- National Art Pass
Bath: World Heritage Site - a resource pack for teachers
A free resource pack for teachers designed to support learning about the City of Bath World Heritage Site. This pack encourages schools to hold a World Heritage Day in their school to learn about and celebrate the importance of the World Heritage Site.
- Bath Preservation Trust
How to obtain
Free download.
Street Renaissance Project Streetscape Audit
This streetscape survey form is a useful resource for looking at any local neighbourhood. It lists built environment elements to look for, details and materials, their condition (broken, in the wrong place, in the way, too many, not enough, dirty, or not the right colour). In addition to noting areas which are in decline, the form helps students to assess what is worth keeping, important features and good examples, and where opportunities exist to enhance and improve facilities and access.
How to obtain
Scroll down to Street Renaissance Project on the Bath Preservation Trust website and click Download a Streetscape Survey.
Sustainable World Heritage: A free resource pack for teachers
This pack is designed for secondary school teachers and links issues about managing the City of Bath World Heritage Site with the Citizenship curriculum. The pack encourages schools to hold a citizenship day to focus on these issues.
- Bath Preservation Trust
- Bath Preservation Trust
How to obtain
Free download.
Bath Preservation Trust
1 Royal Crescent


text:
A Study of HIV-Disease Development in Aging
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00006144
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : August 31, 2001
Last Update Posted : November 7, 2013
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship between age and HIV disease progression.
This study will explore the possible relationship between age and HIV disease progression. Older age is an important risk factor for faster disease development, but older people may respond better to combination drug therapy. This relationship needs to be understood better.
|Condition or disease
|HIV Infections
|Drug: Lopinavir/Ritonavir Drug: Emtricitabine Drug: Stavudine
|Phase 2
Older age is an important risk factor for accelerated HIV-disease progression. However, the virologic response to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may be superior in older persons. A better understanding of the immunologic, virologic, and behavioral mechanisms that underlie these age-related differences may help to elucidate critical immune responses that are necessary to control the progression of HIV-disease.
Patients are grouped according to age. Group A consists of patients between the ages of 13 and 30 years. Group B consists of patients age 45 years or older. All patients receive open-label lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) plus emtricitabine (FTC) plus stavudine (d4T) for 96 [AS PER AMENDMENT 06/04/02: 192] weeks. Study visits occur at pre-entry, entry, and Weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 then every 12 weeks thereafter through Week 96 [AS PER AMENDMENT 06/04/02: Week 192]. Clinical assessments, safety laboratory tests, CD4 cell count monitoring, lymphocyte phenotyping, and HIV-1 RNA determinations are performed routinely. Blood samples are stored for further immunology and virology studies. Patients may volunteer to participate in virology substudy A5020s and either immunology substudy A5016s or A5017s [AS PER AMENDMENT 06/04/02: Substudy A5017s has been eliminated.]
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Enrollment :
|90 participants
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Phase II Exploratory Study Examining Immunologic and Virologic Indices in Two Age-Differentiated Cohorts of HIV-Infected Subjects to Explore the Basis of Accelerated HIV-Disease Progression Associated With Aging
|Study Start Date :
|October 2000
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|April 2005
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|13 Years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
Patients may be eligible for this study if they:
- Are HIV-positive.
- Are between 13 and 30 years old (need consent of parent or guardian if under 18), or are more than 44 years of age.
- Have a viral load of more than 2000 copies/ml within 60 days of study entry.
- Have a CD4 cell count of less than 600 cells/mm3 within 60 days of study entry. (This reflects a change in the CD4 cell count requirement.)
- Agree to use effective methods of birth control (such as condoms) during and for 12 weeks after the study.
Exclusion Criteria
Patients will not be eligible for this study if they:
- Are pregnant or breast-feeding.
- Have an AIDS-related cancer (except Kaposi's sarcoma) requiring chemotherapy.
- Have hepatitis within 30 days of study entry.
- Have diarrhea (more than 3 liquid stools/day for at least 14 days) within 30 days of study entry.
- Are receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
- Have taken antiretroviral drugs for more than 14 days.
- Have received an HIV vaccine within 30 days of study.
- Have a serious illness or infection within 14 days of the study.
- Have other serious conditions that might interfere with study participation.
- Have taken or plan to take certain other drugs that might affect the study results.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00006144
|Study Chair:
|Robert Kalayjian
|Study Chair:
|Michael Lederman
|Study Chair:
|Richard Pollard
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
10168 ( Registry Identifier: DAIDS ES )
Substudy ACTG A5016s
Substudy ACTG A5020s
|First Posted:
|August 31, 2001 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|November 7, 2013
|Last Verified:
|November 2013
Drug Therapy, Combination
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Cohort Studies
Disease Progression
Antigens, CD
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Anti-HIV Agents
HIV Infections
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Disease Progression
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Disease Attributes
Pathologic Processes
Slow Virus Diseases
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Protease Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Anti-HIV Agents
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors


text:
During the midst of a nearly full slate of games Saturday, reports surfaced (of course), that Sports Illustrated would be releasing a report this coming week alleging improprieties in the Oklahoma State football program dating back to Les Miles time as head coach a decade ago.
As for specific allegations that will be raised in the piece, the Daily Oklahoman writes that the magazine's claims, based on interviews with former players, coaches and staff members, will include "academic fraud, players being paid for performance by an assistant coach or overpaid by boosters for jobs, and an OSU hostess program that provided sex for recruits." OSU, the paper reports, is likely to bring in an outside investigator to ensure it's in compliance with NCAA standards.
The school has already notified both the Big 12 and the NCAA of the pending developments.
"Oklahoma State University is deeply troubled by these claims. We will investigate the accuracy of the allegations and take all appropriate action," said OSU President Burns Hargis in a statement. "We do not condone or tolerate improper conduct in our athletic programs. OSU requires everyone affiliated with the university to follow the rules and adhere to the highest ethical standards."
The good news for the OSU football program, aside from than the negative publicity, is the fact that the allegations involve no current players or coaches. The vast majority of the alleged improprieties — 85 percent a source told the Oklahoman — occurred between 2001-07; the NCAA's statute of limitations is four years.
Current LSU head coach Les Miles held the same job with the Cowboys from 2001-04 before leaving for the Tigers. Asked about any improprieties during his time in Stillwater, Miles, as expected, vehemently denied any such things occurred on his watch.
"I don't know of any improprieties while I was coaching there," Miles said after LSU's win over UAB Saturday night. "We always did things right. …
"Oklahoma State has never been a place where you needed to cheat to have success."
A former Mike Gundy assistant, though, could have some NCAA issues in his future.
* Coaches and boosters paying athletes, including violations ranging from paying for jobs not performed, overpaying for jobs and strictly paying players for performance.
Former OSU assistant coach Joe DeForest is accused of running a bonus program – paying players for specific plays – as recently as 2011.
DeForest is currently the associate head coach and special teams coordinator at West Virginia. He was an assistant at OSU from 2001-11, and stayed on staff when Gundy took over for Miles in 2005.
WVU athletic director Oliver Luck stated that the assistant has denied the allegations raised by Sports Illustrated, but allowed that "it is the right thing to do to look into the matter and review practices here." Luck also acknowledged that WVU has been in contact with the NCAA.


text:
BTO Sports is your number one source for all of your motocross parts, gear, accessories and apparel. BTOSports.com is a motocross company who is truly dedicated to the sport and to the customer. Proud sponsor of your Racer X Podcasts and the BTO Sports/BBMX Suzuki race team.
In this BTOSports.com/Racer X Podcast, Jason Thomas just returned from the German SX, I just got back from Bercy and Weege, well he held it down in the USA. So with that, we all got together to compare notes on what happened at each race, whether they mean anything or not, what to do with Eli Tomac and much, much more.
Click HERE to listen to the show directly. If you are trying to listen on an Apple mobile device or on the Pulpmx App, Stitcher or whatever see below:
The PulpMX.com server issue has been traced back to an iOS 6.0 bug that causes a requested audio stream to be downloaded infinitely over and over with no clue to the user.
This bug has been rectified in iOS 6.0.1 which was released November 1st. This affects not just the PulpMX App but all iOS 6.0 audio streaming apps.
Clearly, many PulpMX.com fans using iOS devices have not updated to iOS 6.0.1. You should eagerly update your device as this bug also cannibalizes your cellular data plan.
PulpMX.com will remain unavailable to iOS devices for a period of 1 week in hopes that users will take the time to update their devices so our hosting provider stops locking our server due to bandwidth overages.
When the app comes back online next week, any iOS device that is specifically on iOS 6.0 (iOS 6.0.1 is fine) will be blocked from PulpMX.com until they update.
The costs associated with this bug are great and we can't continue to foot that bill. Sorry for the temporary inconvenience.
Thanks for your support!
Now go update by tapping "Settings", then "General", then "Software Update".


text:
A superstore for shooters
Larry Potterfield grows a tiny gun shop
into America's premier shooting supply house
Bob McEowen
Bob McEowen
Bob McEowen
Kevin Wright confirms an item number on a wrist-mounted computer as he pulls merchandise from inventory at MidwayUSA. The Columbia mail-order house is one of the largest suppliers of firearms accessories, gunsmith's supplies and reloading components in the U.S.
It's the day after the presidential election, and the phones are abuzz at a sprawling industrial building west of Columbia as 40 operators talk with customers. Inside a glass-walled data processing room, 70 high-capacity computer servers busily process electronic orders that stream in from an Internet storefront.
Sales were up 40 percent at Mid-wayUSA on Nov. 4 amid concerns about a post-election gun ban. Otherwise, it was a typical day at this mid-Missouri mail-order company. The company is one of the nation's largest direct-to-consumer suppliers of firearms parts and accessories, gunsmith tools and all the various components and equipment used by hobbyists who assemble their own ammunition. The motto printed prominently on the cover of MidwayUSA's 970-page catalog sums up the company's market philosophy: "Just about everything for shooting, reloading and gunsmithing."
"'Just about everything' means just about every vendor, every manufacturer that has something for sale," company founder and CEO Larry Potterfield says, explaining that as long as MidwayUSA can sell two of an item in a year, he'll stock it. "If there's any possible demand for it, then we're going to carry it."
The No. 4 mail-order sporting goods retailer nationwide — behind Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops and Sportsman's Guide — MidwayUSA sells no complete guns. Instead, it offers a wide selection of products and accessories for shooting enthusiasts. More than just locks, stocks and barrels, the company sells nearly 100,000 items, from targets, optics and carrying cases to the tiny springs and screws that go into a gun and the specialized tools needed to install them. Ammunition reloaders can find bullets, brass, powder and primers for every conceivable cartridge, from .17 Remington to the .700 Nitro Express.
From the outside, there is little indication that MidwayUSA's 140,000-square-foot facility alongside Interstate 70 houses an industry leader. Likewise, Larry's unassuming manner belies a skilled businessman who saw opportunities and created a successful company to meet them.
Ever since 1977, when he and his wife, Brenda, opened a small gun shop near Columbia, Larry has been the public face of MidwayUSA. His image is displayed in advertisements that run in virtually every major firearms-related publication in America, and he stars in how-to videos MidwayUSA airs on television's Outdoor Channel and posts on its Web site.
Larry Potterfield founded the company in 1977.
"Hi, I'm Larry Potterfield from MidwayUSA," he says at the start of each video the company produces at its in-house studio. The videos, which show how to do everything from installing a scope to rebarreling a rifle, often end with a simple statement of appreciation: "Thanks for the business."
Larry grew up near Ely in northeast Missouri and studied accounting at the University of Missouri-Columbia before serving in the U.S. Air Force. While in the military, he earned a master's degree in business management. At Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas, Larry's childhood appreciation for hunting and firearms blossomed into a full-blown obsession.
Larry helped organize a gun club on base, became a licensed firearms dealer and began trading guns at gun shows. He also befriended the base locksmith, an avid reloading enthusiast.
In those days, reloading components were scarce and interstate sales were legal only to licensed gun dealers. Home hobbyists often made their own cartridge cases, converting one caliber to another. Larry's locksmith friend necked down spent .38-caliber brass cases to work in Japanese Nambu pistols, a popular war relic.
Larry's exposure to the now-obscure Nambu would prove providential, as he and Brenda left the Air Force and opened their gun shop. The Boone Electric Cooperative member had no idea that he would one day head America's premier mail-order reloading supply house. He just wanted to work with guns.
"The business then wasn't any different than the business today," Larry says. "Here's what I like to do. I like to shoot, reload and tinker with guns. Guess what? We're going to open a business for shooting, reloading and tinkering with guns."
Larry and his brother, Jerry, built a 1,600-square-foot shop and stocked it with their personal gun collections. The Potterfield brothers soon began crafting their own Nambu shells and selling them through advertisements in gun magazines. This endeavor led them to a supplier of brass cartridge cases, and then to a company that offered boxes reloaders could use to package their homemade ammunition.
By 1984, Jerry had gone home to farm and the shop was exclusively in the mail-order business, supplying bullets, brass and other reloading supplies to gun shops across the country.
Part of MidwayUSA's success is due to federal legislation passed in 1986, which allowed mail-order sales of ammunition directly to consumers. But what keeps MidwayUSA growing is the company's reputation for selection, fast shipping and excellent customer service. In November, the company was one of four businesses awarded a 2008 Missouri Quality Award by the Excellence in Missouri Foundation.
Brenda Potterfield visits with an operator in Midway's call center.
Aside from his business acumen, Larry continues to bring a love of firearms, reloading and gunsmithing to MidwayUSA. He still hunts and shoots — both he and Brenda travel to Africa each year for big-game hunts — and reloads his own ammunition. Each week, the busy executive finds time to work on guns in MidwayUSA's gunsmith shop. He's currently restoring a Remington Rolling Block rifle like the one Gen. George Custer carried at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The project will be featured on "Cowboys," a program MidwayUSA sponsors on the Outdoor Channel.
MidwayUSA's 355 employees also are encouraged to enjoy the shooting sports. The company offers gunsmith training for employees, and guns and wildlife mounts are on display in cubicles and workstations throughout the facility.
Larry's commitment to education is not limited to employees and customers however. Recently, the Potterfield family — daughter Sara and son Russell also are involved — established the Scholastic Shooting Trust Fund to support college and high school shooting teams. Larry hopes the money, which is channeled through FFA or other extra-curricular organizations, will help a new generation of youth discover the shooting sports.
In addition, the Potterfields have created several endowments to further Second Amendment-related causes. MidwayUSA's NRA Round-up program has raised $4 million for the National Rifle Association since 1992.
MidwayUSA may not attract much attention from motorists passing by on the interstate, but the company and its founder have left their mark on America's shooting, reloading and gunsmithing hobbyists. Larry pioneered an industry selling reloading supplies direct to consumers, and the tiny gun shop he and Brenda opened 31 years ago is now one of the largest firearms specialty mail-order houses in America. He also had the vision to create innovative endowments to further the interests of sportsmen.
Despite the accomplishments, Larry humbly sees himself as someone who likes guns.
"I have always been a guy who liked to pull the trigger. I have always been a guy who liked to reload and who liked to tinker with guns," he says. "I'm just a customer."
To request a MidwayUSA catalog, phone 800-243-3220; or log onto www.midwayusa.com to access the company's entire product line. For information about the Scholastic Shooting Trust Fund, log onto www.scholasticshootingtrust.org.


text:
Product Description: ETL/UL Approved
Product: Cell profiler
Brand name CWB
Description: The CWBCE-1320 is a cell profiler used to observe the resonant frequencies of specimens. The equipment is powered from a single USB connection to an external computer which runs software that collates specimen information and the data provided by the cell profiler. The cell profiler generates a magnetic field that grows in the coil and grows in the field (low field). Different specimens affect differently the fields (growing and decaying), the resonant medium of microactivity is then assessed by a bio-information center against relevant and data stored indicators, for example organic/biological and returned to the sender.


text:
Wed Sep 26 01:10:42 UTC 2012
Slackware 14.0 x86_64 stable is released!
We're perfectionists here at Slackware, so this release has been a long
time a-brewing. But we think you'll agree that it was worth the wait.
Slackware 14.0 combines modern components, ease of use, and flexible
configuration... our "KISS" philosophy demands it.
The ISOs are off to be replicated, a 6 CD-ROM 32-bit set and a dual-sided
32-bit/64-bit x86/x86_64 DVD. Please consider supporting the Slackware
project by picking up a copy from store.slackware.com. We're taking
pre-orders now, and offer a discount if you sign up for a subscription.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. The Slackware team, the
upstream developers, and (of course) the awesome Slackware user community.
Have fun!
Giusto in tempo per il weekend, almeno ho ben DUE giorni per divertirmi un po'!!!!That's right, the long wait is finally over and a new stable release of Slackware has arrived! Since our last stable release, a lot has changed in the Linux and FOSS world. The kernel has moved on to major version 3 (we're using the long term supported 3.2.29 kernel for this release), X.org has released X11R7.7, and Firefox has had a whopping *11* major releases to arrive at version 15.0.1! We've brought together the best of these and other modern components and worked our magic on them. You'll find new compilers (including the LLVM/clang compiler that's becoming a popular alternative to gcc), development tools, libraries, and applications throughout, all prepared with our careful and rigourous testing. If you've used Slackware before, you'll find the system feels like home. But we've also added new features such as NetworkManager for easy setup and management of wired and wireless networking (or, you can still use the traditional network setup if you prefer). And, we've updated the desktops and window managers to recent versions as well.
For additional information, see the official announcement and the release notes. For a complete list of included packages, see the package list.
Build scripts for all kinds of additional software for Slackware 14.0 can be found on the slackbuilds.org website.
Need help? We've launched a new documentation site, docs.slackware.com. Thanks to Eric Hameleers for getting it up and running. Stop by and share your knowledge!
Please consider supporting the Slackware project by picking up a copy of the Slackware 14.0 release from the Slackware Store. The discs are off to replication, but we're accepting pre-orders for the official 6 CD set and the DVD. The CD set is the 32-bit x86 release, while the DVD is a dual-sided disc with the 32-bit x86 release on one side and the 64-bit x86_64 release on the other. If you're looking for something stylish to wear for the end-of-the-world celebration coming up in December, be sure to check out our new Mayan themed Slackware 14.0 T-shirts! And we still have some 13.37 shirts left, too, because leet never goes out of style. Thanks to our subscribers and supporters for keeping Slackware going all these years.
Thanks to the rest of the Slackware team for all the hard work getting 14.0 ready for action! And of course, thanks to all the open source developers upstream, and to the Slackware community on linuxquestions.org for all the help getting things just exactly perfect.
Have fun, and enjoy the new stable release!
Pat and the Slackware crew


text:
Friday Sermon was delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih V, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) at the International Center, Mississauga, Canada at the occasion of Jalsa Salana Canada 2012
After the recitation of Surah Al Fatihah, Huzoor (aba) began the sermon by expressing his gratitude to Allah Almighty for enabling Jamaat Ahmadiyya Canada to hold Jalsa Salana. These Jalsas are a source of receiving many blessings in the life of an Ahmadi Muslim, because it is an auspicious occasion held solely for the masses to congregate for religious purposes, where individuals are enabled to remember Allah, to be in the company of those who remember Allah, and to gain His favours. All these reasons indeed become a source of blessings from Allah Almighty. The Holy Prophet (saw) has also stated that participants in such occasions and gatherings which are held to gain nearness of Allah become heirs to the favours of Allah Almighty and take them towards Paradise. He (saw) said: Strive to walk in the gardens of Paradise. When the companions asked him to elaborate on this concept, Hadhrat Muhammad (saw) said that congregations held to remember Allah are such gardens indeed.
The objectives of these Jalsas are in reality to remember Allah and to strive in progressing towards the Love of Allah, with focus and attention towards prayers and supplications and to educate oneself even further about how to gain nearness to Allah. Similarly, we must also pay special attention towards fulfilling our obligations to our fellow human beings, again, to the end of gaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty. Then, this focus on prayers and obligations and worship will lead us towards the gardens of Paradise. In fact, fulfilling the obligations towards our fellow human beings has two aspects: one is that the person who is fulfilling the obligations reaps the reward, and the other is that the person whose obligations are being fulfilled also acknowledges the blessings of these spiritual conventions due to which his rights are being awarded. This should be the ultimate picture of such blessed gatherings where gratitude of Allah, mutual relationships and excellences in worship can flourish and progress. Fortunate amongst us are those who come to the Jalsa with this spirit and intention and implement these practices and as a result, they unlock the gates of Paradise not only for themselves but also enable others to walk in these gardens. One pious action leads to many such pious actions, which gather the rewards from Allah Almighty for all those individuals who initiated the pious actions.
Our Allah is a Loving Allah who rewards righteous deeds hundred and thousands of folds. Therefore, every individual should strive towards seeking this Love for our Loving God. The inauguration of Jalsas by the Promised Messiah (as) has given us the opportunity to achieve this goal: to roam among the gardens of Paradise. Thus, fortunate are those who shall gain the rewards and blessings of Allah Almighty by attaining the true purpose of these conventions. Each and every participant of the Jalsa Salana, men, women, young and old, must all strive towards this end.
The Promised Messiah (as) felt a great deal of pain towards the members of his Jamaat, and used to pray with anguish for them in these words: I pray until I exhale my final breath that may Allah Almighty purify the hearts of the members of my Jamaat and that may He extend the hand of His Mercy so that their hearts turn towards Him and that may He eliminate all malice and evil from their hearts and may He fill their hearts with love and purity. I have firm faith that my prayer will be accepted, and God will not let my prayers go wasted. I also pray that if there is an individual in this Jamaat who does not have the intention of gaining nearness to Allah, then he should be cut asunder from it and in exchange, a pious soul should replace him, whose heart is tender and is inclined towards the Divine.
These are words that reflect the condition of the heart of the Promised Messiah (as) and should render the heart of his true followers empathetic and compel them to turn towards Astaghfar and Tauba, and incline them to bow down before God asking for forgiveness and mercy. These words should make them realize about their obligations and duties towards their fellow human beings. Therefore, during these days, each and every one of us should turn to Tauba, Astaghfar, remembrance of Allah and durood. May Allah Almighty safeguard our faith, in fact, may He increase our faith and enable us to progress in our Taqwa. May our Astaghfar be pure and wholesome. May our prayers and worship become genuinely devoted and faithful. May the purpose of our duties towards our fellow human beings be truly to gain the pleasure of Allah Almighty.
The Promised Messiah (as) states: Unless and until our prostrations are filled with complete devotion, our supplications shall bear no fruit. Just like the meat and blood of sacrifices does not reach God Almighty, only Taqwa reaches God, similarly, physical prostrations are devoid of any reward unless our hearts are filled with Taqwa. The inclination of the heart means that one must fully obey the commandments of God, the bowing of the heart means that one should submit to His will, and the prostration of the heart means that one should abandon his own will to gain the pleasure of God Almighty.
This is the desire of the Promised Messiah (as) to see his followers established on the path of Taqwa, and for this he prayed fervently and profoundly. May Allah enable us to achieve this status. Let us hope that our worldly inclinations do not become an impediment in the path of this religious revolution that was the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah (as). In order to gain the pleasure of Allah Almighty and to become the recipients of the blessings of the prayers of the Promised Messiah (as), each and every Ahmadi should renew his oath with a new energy and vigour that he shall make every effort to increase in his standards of attaining Taqwa. The Holy Quran directs the believers towards the path to attain the excellent state of Taqwa in many different places.
Taqwa means that every true Ahmadi Muslim must make every possible effort to stay away from sin and immorality, therefore Allah states that worship performed in its absolute essence will safeguard you from all evil. Let it be clear that worship in its true essence inculcates the fear of Allah in a person's heart, but this fear is due to the love a true worshipper and a true Believer feels for Allah Almighty which leads him to gaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty, which is the ultimate purpose of creation itself. Allah Almighty states that "I have not created man and jinn, but that they may worship me."
Huzoor (aba) said that the self-created objectives of life are most futile, as they conceal the purpose of creation as stated by Allah. Worldly objectives and desires are all that is left in the life of people who follow these self-created objectives. In actuality, the purpose as stated in the Quran is the recognition of and devotion to and worship of Allah. Man has no control over his birth and his death; only God has control over this. Similarly, God is the One Who has set forth the purpose of man's life which is stated above. This is the standard every Ahmadi should strive to attain.
These days, the Western countries have invented many ways to attain worldly pleasures which lead to nothing but debauchery and immorality, which is in turn displayed to the whole world. This debauchery is labelled as fun and pleasure. These are people who do not understand and do not have the eyes and the hearts to see the truth and the purpose God has set forth for them. They pay no heed to God's commandments, and are following their carnal instincts, which makes them worse than animals, let alone human beings. They have gone astray and follow their worldly desires.
The Promised Messiah (as) says that these people have forgotten God and His commandments, and are trying to seek and establish their own purpose and objectives in life. The final abode of these people is Hell.
Huzoor (aba) elaborated that the Mercy of Allah is All-encompassing, but many people do not benefit from God's Mercy and drown themselves in worldly activities to the extent that they perish spiritually. The way to a tragic ending is when man does not follow the commandments of God, and does not worship Him the way He must be worshipped. Man has involved himself in vain and debauched activities. Pornographic videos are available freely such that man has turned himself into an animal by watching these. Huzoor (aba) said that sometimes he receives complaints that young or middle-aged Ahmadis are also involved in watching such videos or a little less but certainly futile movies. These activities lead to the destruction of family unit and divorces ensue. Huzoor (aba) admonished all Jamaat members to be fearful of Allah Almighty who has made it clear that such people who have gone astray shall be Hell-bound. The Promised Messiah (as) has also explained that if you wish to stay in my Jamaat, then you must abandon these futile and personal desires otherwise, stay away from Jamaat. Huzoor (aba) said that such people are generally distant from Jamaat and do not participate in Jalsas, however, if they do attend or if they listen to these instructions, then they should try to rectify themselves, or they should separate themselves from the Jamaat before Jamaat takes any action against such individuals.
Huzoor (aba) addressed the youth as well, saying that sometimes, they are not familiar with the rules of Jamaat or cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Therefore, they must also refrain from developing friendships with such individuals who are involved in debauchery and immoral acts, which can be addictive once started. The Promised Messiah (as) says that God says that many men were created to become the fuel for Hell; however, this Hell was created by the hands of these people themselves. They are invited to Paradise with clean and pure hearts, but they do not pay heed. Many think they are very smart and try to establish their own path to 'Paradise', but they reach nowhere except Hell. For such people, this world will also be Hellish and their final destination will also be Hell.
The Promised Messiah (as) also stated that do not think that these worldly luxuries and relationships will be the source of contentment to your heart. Not at all. The contentment and peace of the heart does not come from worldly and material objects; it can only come when a person annihilates himself in the love of Allah. The thirst for worldly objects cannot be quenched, in fact it only increases infinitely, such that people who pursue these will eventually perish. This fire is also like the fire of Hell, which does not let a person rest, but on the contrary creates this ravenous appetite for more and more till they succumb to their desires. Therefore, my friends, pay heed to these instructions. This fire that burns the heart and transforms it into darkness, like that of coal, that all-consuming fire is this love for the material world.
Huzoor (aba) said that a true believer must have the intention of gaining the pleasure of Allah in his every action, and crush the idols within his heart that incline him towards worldly desires. Only then can a Muslim become a Momin (true believer). Thus, during these days of Jalsa, God has given us the opportunity to make amendments, so each and every one of us should focus on his or her own condition and try to improve it, no matter how big or small the imperfections are. Sometimes it is the small wrongdoings that take a person to bigger evils. Remain busy in the remembrance of Allah. Gain nearness of Allah by performing Astaghfar and Durood. Cleanse your hearts of hidden idols. Be grateful to Allah, which will inculcate the love of Allah in your hearts.
The worldly favours that have been bestowed upon you in this country, try to make them the source of gaining Divine favours. God Almighty has said that your Taqwa will be the source of your respect, not your money or your worldly status. God says that the best among you is the one who is best in Taqwa. Many a strife that arise between members of Jamaat will resolve if we put these commandments into practice.
The Promised Messiah (as) says that prevention from evil is the best way to protect oneself from that evil. Allah Almighty will reward us for the smallest of our actions that are undertaken in order to gain His pleasure. The highest in stature is not one who has attained worldly luxuries, but one who has gained in righteousness. He also says that never cast an inferior glance on those brothers who are underprivileged. Do not consider yourself superior over others due to wealth or caste. According to Allah Almighty, the only one who is superior is the one who is Mutaqqi (righteous). He added that salvation is not dependent on one's nation, nor on wealth, but Allah Almighty looks at your actions.
At another place, the Promised Messiah (as) has warned in strong words saying that in the eyes of Allah Almighty, the only respectable person is the one who is righteous. God will save only the righteous. This is a delicate stance and a person who is righteous cannot be at the same place as a person who is impure. Allah Almighty will save the righteous and destroy the malicious. Only God knows who is righteous, therefore one must be fearfully aware of this fact. Fortunate is the one who is righteous and unfortunate is the cursed one.
These sayings of the Promised Messiah (as) should suffice to spiritually revive an Ahmadi Muslim. The only way to protect oneself from evil is to make sure that his or her actions and words are one and the same so that he or she is enumerated amongst those who have attained salvation. The Promised Messiah (as) has enumerated three ways of attaining this salvation. The first is to perform good and righteous deeds, second is that every step you take should be towards righteousness (follow the model of the Holy Prophet (saw) whose actions were nothing but the Quran, hence the underlying message is to turn towards the Holy Quran), third is to beautify your actions by submitting completely to the Will of Allah Almightyand obedience of the Holy Prophet (saw). The Promised Messiah (as) said that the destiny of this Jamaat is nothing but success. Thus, fortunate are those who understand these fundamental concepts.
Huzoor (aba) said that many members of the Jamaat are indeed set upon these righteous ways, and it is obvious through their attitudes towards other members of the Jamaat. However there is room for much progress. May Allah Almighty enable each and every one of us to understand and implement these pearls of golden advice into our lives and may we become the recipients of the blessings that have been promised by God Almighty to the righteous, which is nothing but the reward of goodness. The Promised Messiah (as) states one must abandon the ways of debauchery, immorality, jealousy, malice, pride, vanity and all other evils and remember that only the pious will attain success.
Huzoor (aba) said that the environment that is created during the Jalsa provides us with a unique opportunity for us to ensure that we take the steps in the direction of safeguarding ourselves from all types of immoralities and evil inclinations and it also gives us the opportunity to partake in righteous acts that lead us to the pleasure of God and His favours. Congregational and communal efforts in the way of Allah, rather than individual efforts, will also incur the increased blessings of Divine favours. We shall become the witnesses of the fulfilment of those promises that were granted to the Promised Messiah (as), such as the victory will be bestowed on God's Prophet. If we wish to savour the scenes of this victory, then every Ahmadi must strive in progress of their spiritual conditions. The Promised Messiah (as) says that it must be remembered that the righteous are informed of their reward within their lives. He said that in the initial periods, the Messengers of Allah met with disasters, one after the other, but the results of these difficulties and trials were nothing but success and eventual victory. He also foretold the progress of Jamaat in these words: I receive glad tidings about the success of the Jamaat, such that my grief and worries are taken away from me and these glad tidings strengthen my faith. I can already smell the fragrance of final victory in the favour of Jamaat.
Huzoor (aba) re-emphasized that this progress and victory has already been destined for the Jamaat. We must therefore raise our standards of righteousness so that we can be the witness of these successes. Every Ahmadi Muslim should benefit during the days of Jalsa and the upcoming month of Ramadan, and ameliorate themselves by making every humanly effort possible. May Allah enable each and every one of us to do so and enable each one of us to gather the blessings of this auspicious occasion. May we be the heirs of the prayers intended by the Promised Messiah (as) in favour of the participants of Jalsa Salana. Listen to the speeches quietly and the attendance should remain constant during all sessions and implement the instructions given during the educational and spiritual discourses that are presented throughout this Jalsa. Participants should cooperate with the organizers, and the duty holders must also discharge their duties with full responsibility. All participants and duty holders should remain aware of their surroundings at all times. May Allah Almighty enable all of you to do so. May God Almighty assist all of you in gathering the blessings of the Jalsa.
Related Resources


text:
WeighSouth Medical WM15 features a large platform that conforms to a child shape
to hold the infant in place. With its column mounted indicator, weight can be
easily viewed on the large LCD display. The platform is easily removed for
cleaning. The scale features a mulirange capacity allowing for more accuracy on
lighter infants (13x0.005lb) but capable of reading weight up
to 30 pounds (33x0.01lb).


text:
Look out. Take cover. Run. Not sure if any of that will help though. Maya Calendar comes at the turn of the tide, as we wallow in our lunatic ways, blithely summoning the destruction which wrecked havoc among our mortal friends, the Maya. KeeWee tech, the dev responsible for warning us of the coming cataclysm are responsible for quite a few niche apps which come with suitably niche prices; in all likelihood, the Calendar, which predicts nothing less than another Mayan cataclysmo, is preying on a niche gullibility; nay, a susceptibility to bad news which sits deep within the human soul.
App Description:
According to the Mayan calendar, the current Golden Age (the fifth), will end on 21 December 2012. The previous four eras (Water, Air, Fire and Earth) would all end with huge environmental upheavals. According to various researchers, the cataclysms that marked the end of the Mayan Ages were caused by a reversal of the Earth's magnetic field, due to a shift of the planet. Do you want to know how much time is left on this fateful date?
Download Maya Calendar!
KeeWee Technology, Maya Calendar, 0.99$, 1.1 MB
A better option, however comes after the gap.


text:
Ben Meadows: 138687
- Price:
- $119.00
- Description
- Specifications
- Reviews
- Videos (1)
Ideal for continuous sampling or purging of groundwater wells, this pump can fit into a 2˝ dia. or larger well. The computer-engineered bottom debris screen separates debris from water and helps prevent damage to the pump motor. Constructed of PVC plastic and stainless steel, the sleek pump design minimizes well hang-ups. The pump can run continuously without cooling down and can even run dry for up to two hours without causing motor damage. The pump operates directly from a 12V car battery using the supplied alligator clip adapter or can be used with the Low Flow Sampling Controller to regulate flow. Capable of pumping up to 40' deep. The Mini-Typhoon comes with 50' of heavy duty 12 gauge wire with a quick-connect adapter to connect to either the included alligator battery connectors for connection to a battery or to the optional Low Flow Controller (sold separately).
We encourage our customers to let us know what experiences they have had with our products, whether good or bad. By submitting a review, you can share your experiences with others and also provide valuable feedback to us as well. With just a few simple steps, you can add your review of this product.
Ask a Question
Clearflo 70 Phthalate-Free PVC Tubing, 100' Roll
3/8" I.D. x 1/2" O.D.
- Price:
- $42.75
Proactive Low Flow Sampling Controller Model PA-10800
- Price:
- $405.00


text:
Sitting Killz
this is a very simple
I have used this as a desk and am currently using it to hold my TV. this is a very simple furniture piece that has proven to fit in all my spaces.
Return Policy
We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase from SittingKillz.com. If you don't love your product, return it in like-new condition in the original packaging within 30 days of delivery. Easy-peasy.
A few things to note:
You have 30 days to return your product for a full refund minus shipping. Some product lines may also have a restocking fee or other restrictions, see below.
Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for a return authorization number PRIOR to returning any item. We will not accept any returns without prior authorization.
You will be responsible for return shipping costs and product must be returned in "like new" condition.
We are not responsible for returns lost or damaged in transit. Please ship your return with a reputable service that offers insurance and tracking (UPS, Fedex, etc).
Refunds will only be refunded to the credit card used for the original purchase.
Multi Unit Orders and Custom items are not returnable.
Product line specific return policies:
Uplift Desk Products:
Items other than bases and desks will be subject to a 10% restocking fee.
Custom laminate and solid wood desktops are not returnable.
HealthPostures Products:
No additional fees or restrictions.
Focal Upright Products:
No additional fees or restrictions.
Ergosource Products:
Items returned after 14 days subject to a 25% restocking fee.
Uncaged Ergonomics:
No additional fees or restrictions.
MooreCo and Balt Products:
No additional fees or restrictions.
TCT Nanotec Products
Customer pays for shipping back to TCT warehouse & 25% restocking fee - has to be in original packaging or no credit.
Loctek items come with a 30-day return policy. During this time any unopened and unused merchandise can be returned at the customer's expense for a full refund minus a 20% restocking fee.
Loctek items come with a 90-day manufacturer's warranty. During this time we will replace and/or assist in repairing any items deemed damaged during shipping or defective from the manufacturer. This warranty does not include wear from normal use and/or damage due to incorrect use of the product.
Please contact us to get pre authorization for any Returns or Exchanges, Do not send back any items without prior approval from SittingKillz.com
Shipping Policy
Order Confirmation:
As soon as you place your order, you will receive an order confirmation e-mail. This means that we have received your order in our system and pre-authorized your credit card for the purchase. As soon as we receive your order, we automatically reach out to our suppliers to confirm that it is in stock and available for immediate shipment. If your item is on backorder or unavailable, we will reach out to you via e-mail. If your item(s) are available for immediate shipment (within 5 business days), we will process the charges and submit the order for shipment.
Order Shipment:
If your order is stock and we process the charges to your credit card, it will ship within five business days from the date of your order. We will send you tracking information within 24 hours of your order leaving the warehouse to the e-mail address your provide when checking out. If you do not receive tracking information from us within six business days of your order, feel free to follow up with us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Please inspect the packaging of your item(s) when they arrive, if you notice any damage you should make note of it when signing for delivery. If your item(s) do arrived damaged, please send photos within 48hours to firstname.lastname@example.com and we will process an insurance claim on your behalf.
Cancellations & Refunds:
All orders cancelled after 48 hours are subject to a $20 administration fee, whether or not your order has shipped. If you order has shipped, you (the buyer) will also be responsible for actual return shipping charges. Refunds will only be issued to the original credit card that you use when placing your order.
International Shipping:
While we welcome the business of customers worldwide, some products are prohibitively expensive to ship abroad. Shipping rates vary dramatically country to country. If you are overseas and are interested in one of our products please click on Contact Us and submit a request to get an accurate shipping price. Be sure to include the product(s) you would like to purchase and your shipping address in your message.


text:
Product Overview
Handmade letterpress Greek greeting cards on 100% cotton; printed with Aegean blue and transparent ink and comes with a matching turquise envelope. These are exquisite, one-of-a-kind cards. Each greeting is written in Greek in colored ink with the phonetic pronunciation pressed in a monochrome below.
Front of Card: Agapi Mou (My Love/"Darling")


text:
You are so on the 'naughty' list this year. Once again, the big day is but hours away and you're still completely empty-handed. For shame.
Good thing for you we've got your back. Read on for a sleigh-full of gifts from the most convenient stores you can find. All ring in at $25 or less and all can be found at the grocery store, the drug store or even, yes, the gas station. Christmas is saved.
The grocery store is our top choice for last-minute shopping, and not only because of the wide selection of gift-ables. See, you've also got access to holiday bags and tissue here, giving the impression of thoughtful premeditation. Fill 'em with a cookie tin or candy, or check out these creative ideas instead:
Fiesta in a Box: Pack up taco shells, tortilla chips, salsa, bean dip and margarita mix for a party just waiting to happen. This one's great for bachelors and dorm-dwellers.
Recession-Proof Vacation: A couple of fun chick-lit books, some tropical-scented bath gel and a bottle of self-tanner equal a getaway she can enjoy any night of the week.
Teen Angst Starter Kit: Admit it – you're always game for a new and creative way to aggravate your older brother. This year, irk him through his children by giving 'em all the tools they'll need to cause him a few sleepless nights: hair color in either black or fire-engine red, black nail polish and a couple of Twilight fan 'zines.
You can also pick up gift bags and other wrapping trappings at the drug store, making it our second favorite desperation shopping spot. Find a neck massager for Grandpa and some perfume for Granny while you're there, and check out these ideas for the rest of the folks on your list:
The Manscaper: Many drugstores have shavers and beard trimmers on sale this time of year, so why not bundle one with a bottle of aftershave for your favorite nephew or cousin? Great idea!
Pampered Pet Package: For the pet-lover, fill a small dog or cat bed with toys and treats, then tie it up with an oversized bow.
Gourmet Gift Set: Combine the ubiquitous Chia Herb Garden with a copy of Bon Appétit, and you've got yourself a great gift for a new bride or cooking enthusiast.
Finally, when all else fails, the gas station or convenience store can save the day. But you can do better than a fold-out map and a couple of scratch-offs, right?
Team Toppers: Most gas stations have at least a small selection of baseball caps from local teams. Sometimes, if you're lucky, they've got t-shirts, too.
Up All Night: Put together a study survival kit for high school and college students by filling a large travel mug with a jar of instant coffee and a couple of 5-Hour Energy shots. They'll love it.
Toast Your Host: A bottle of wine or bubbly is always welcome at the holidays. Personalize it with a tree-shaped air freshener in red or green – just sign your name with a Sharpie and hang it 'round the neck of the bottle. Very Merry!
Last-Minute Shopping Survival Guide
Convenient, affordable gift ideas just in the nick of time
You are so on the 'naughty' list this year. Once again, the big day is but hours away and you're still completely empty-handed. For shame.


text:
I've waited endlessly for it to happen; the sifting of the music genres through each respective time period, past the bands influenced by the 70s and 80s, kicking the door wide open for drop D tuning and other signature sounds of the 90s. Honestly, I have never really gotten a clearer glimpse of this in a music venue, as I did this night listening to Low vs. Diamond piece through their set, which anyone outside on the street could have easily mistaken for Our Lady Peace.
Though poor sound qualitydue to an apathetic sound guy, not the band, seemed to hinder the quality of the band's set, I was rather impressed by the hooks that managed to find their way out of the cloud of useless fuzz and bass distortion. The piano seemed to be the only instrument to really stand out and rising above a crowd who honestly couldn't give a damn about this band's opening set. This apathy seemed to carry over to the band as well. Their songs, seemingly angry and pointed, simply didn't fluently display in the boys' actions, who only seemed to half-heartedly want to be on stage.
Sadly, on this night, the energy of their album didn't seem to make the trip to the stage. To be fair however, a number of the difficulties they had to overcome were placed in front of them by circumstances slightly out of their control. I honestly look forward to giving them another chance on another night.
Mates of State, the evening's middle set, are no stranger to Lawrence, Kansas. Kori Gardner, lead vocalist of the group recalled to the crowd, "In case you didn't know, this is where this band started. We went to school here, and we started the band here. It's damn good to be back."
And it was damn good to have them back. This husband and wife duo, packing great blended vocal patterns, progressive moog progressions and percussion big enough to fill the room, were at their best. Shooting smirks and flirtatious eye contact across the stage at one another, performing more of a love story than anything else.
Santogold, however, was something completely different, leaving the Lawrence hipsters slightly unsure of what the hell they were doing there. Though being compared to M.I.A. every time she turns around, Santogold actually brings a completely different, unique feel to her hip hop show. Joined on stage by a pair of matching dancers and a DJ, the four lit up the Liberty Hall stage, reflecting light from their gold jackets (or tights in Santogold's case) and sporting 1980's style fashion.
Unlike M.I.A., who played the same stage earlier that year, this show felt much more lighthearted, but just as dance friendly. Opening with "You'll Find a Way," a song that reminds me more of The Clash than NWA, Santogold stands tall in her punk rock roots as well as her hip hop desires.
My only complaint about her set falls with Santogold's inability to include her audience in her art. Her relatively short set, consisting of about 40 minutes, was primarily used ignoring the half filled room. I'd go so far as to mention the lack of common hip hop show call-outs, like having the crowd lift their hands, or even make noise. It seemed that she was simply content to get through her set and go home.
But, then again, with sound problems muffling her voice, and the bass kicking me in the teeth, I must confess, I, too, wanted the same.
Low Vs. Diamond: website | myspace | Low vs. Diamond review | Interview
Mates of State: website | myspace | Re-Arrange Us review
Santogold: website | myspace
Filed under: concerts | Tagged: concerts, Kori Gardner, Low vs. Diamond, m.i.a., mates of state, NWA, Our Lady Peace, santogold, The Clash | Leave a comment »


text:
Dear Governor LePage,
Hear that sound?
It's the long knives coming out – and they're all pointed directly at your back.
Now I admit I'm not exactly a member of Maine's Republican inner circle – assuming such a thing still exists. In fact, I was halfway around the world last week, attending my son's wedding reception in South Korea, when I read the news – on the New York Times website, no less – of your latest bout of foot-in-mouth disease.
President Obama hates white people. I've got to hand it to you, Big Guy, when it comes to this year's nominations for the Right-Wing Crazy Talk Hall of Fame, it's a dead heat right now between you and that ex-cop in Sabattus who called for shooting the president (actually, he used a racial slur) because he thinks Obama wants to take away his wife's Social Security spousal benefits.
Upon returning to Maine this week from Seoul (where I actually came across a few things that reminded me of you, but more on that later), I figured this whole Obama-hates-white-people thing would have blown over just like the "kiss my butt" comment to the NAACP, telling President Obama to "go to hell," the ladies with little beards, the "Gestapo" Internal Revenue Service, the Vaseline scandal, the "cloud of blind hatred" hanging over the Legislature, the labor mural, blowing up the Press Herald … which, by the way, I was relieved to see didn't happen.
But back to your latest gaffe, which I understand you made at a private fundraiser in Belgrade attended by more than a few pillars of Maine's Republican establishment.
First came the two lawmakers who confirmed anonymously to the Press Herald that you made the crack about Obama and white people.
Then came your claim that you never said it and that we media folks "are all about gossip."
Then, when that didn't work, came your usual non-apologetic apology to your fellow Republicans "for any difficulty that remarks recently reported in the press may have caused you."
I love the way you do that: The problem isn't that you made the remarks, but rather that the media reported them and your Republican friends had "difficulty" digesting them. I swear, if you were caught robbing a bank, you'd blame it on the unmarked bills "that recently found their way into my brown paper bag."
Anyway, I'm hearing that your mea culpa, or whatever it was, hasn't gone over too well in Republican land.
A big reason for that, of course, is that those who attended the Belgrade bash, rather than man (or woman) up and publicly tell the truth about what happened, initially feigned amnesia ("I don't recall hearing that") or sudden hearing loss ("If he said it, I didn't hear it").
Now that you've acknowledged those "remarks," however, your ertswhile defenders look (and I suspect feel) like a bunch of cowering wimps who actually believed that what was said in that room could actually stay in that room.
(Kind of reminds me of a Korean proverb I learned last week: "Words have no wings, but they can fly a thousand miles.")
But this goes way beyond your uncanny ability to make grown men and women tiptoe around you as if you were some kind of improvised explosive device. This time, Governor, it appears you've done some real and lasting damage.
Did you catch that special election this week in state Senate District 19 — the one in which former Sen. Paula Benoit was widely expected to win back a coveted seat for the Republicans?
Didn't happen, did it, Big Guy? The turnout, at 31 percent, was much higher than expected — and more than a few of the voters who ended up electing previously unknown Democrat Eloise Vitelli said it was your crack about Obama that propelled them to the polls on a perfect, late-summer beach day.
Bummer, huh Guv? You shoot from the hip and the Republican minority in the Senate takes one in the backside.
The painful truth here, at least for you, is that it's no longer just those you like to call the "loyal opposition" who think your time in the Blaine House has become an unmitigated disaster.
It's a growing number of your own party members — you know, the ones with brains — who break into a cold sweat at the thought of you winning re-election next year and spending another four years spewing about all that is wrong with the state you're supposed to be leading. (Coming soon to the turnpike entrance in Kittery: "Welcome to Maine: We Stink at Everything.")
Those same Republicans look at the latest Public Policy Polling numbers showing Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud ahead of both you and independent Eliot Cutler and now wonder if a Republican gubernatorial primary might not be such a crazy idea, after all. ("Paging state Sen. Roger Katz … your place on the ballot is waiting.")
What's that, Governor? You're going to blow up Public Policy Polling as soon as you've leveled the Press Herald?
Bombs away, Big Guy. But it won't change the fact that 60 percent of the respondents, including 30 percent of Republicans, now believe you cause Maine "national embarrassment." I'll bet you a lobster that number rises to 80 percent by next fall.
Say what? You gave all your lobster away last week to the 49 other governors around the country? I heard about that too — and how New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan promptly forwarded hers to the hungry masses at a soup kitchen in Concord.
(Look at the bright side, sir. At least you can claim you now have irrefutable proof that Maine's tax dollars are being used to provide free lobster to welfare recipients. Your base will eat it up!)
Speaking of seafood, let me close with a little snapshot from my trip to South Korea.
One evening, I had the opportunity to visit a place where you pick out an assortment of live fish still swimming in tanks just a few feet from where the fishing boats dock. Then you go upstairs and, within minutes, they serve you your selections raw on a platter.
All I can say is thank God for that hot wasabi paste.
A short time later, I came across another old Korean proverb — and here's where I thought of you. It goes: "A fish wouldn't get into trouble if it kept its mouth shut."
I know, Governor, you can no sooner keep your mouth shut than persuade all those restive Republicans to put away their daggers and keep defending you from your own endlessly moving lips.
So go ahead, Big Guy, keep yapping.
The closer we get to November of 2014, the more you're starting to look like sushi.
Bill Nemitz can be contacted at 791-6323 or at:
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Safely Celebrate Harvest Time in Maine
Local & State
Moose on the loose in South Portland
Nation & World
The Latest: Raiders players attended a gala without masks the day before coronavirus outbreak hit NFL
The Forecaster
Maine Bicentennial: Scarborough
Times Record Sports
Often a title contender, the Brunswick boys soccer team readjusts expectations in pandemic